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Thursday, June 27, 2019

Western Gray Kangaroo



Western Grey Kangaroo

The Western Grey Kangaroo has the scientific name:  Macropus fulinginosis.  It is one of the larger macropods in Australia.  Macropods include kangaroos, wallabies, petrogs, rat kangaroos etc.  The Western Grey Kangaroo weighs up to 120 lbs or 54 kg.  and is up to 3 feet 7 inches or 1.1 meter long.  Only the males are this larger size.  There is a lot of sexual dimorphism so the females are only about half the size of the males.

The range is actually across almost all of the southern portion of Australia . . . but not quite to thet east coast.   They also live on Kangaroo Island.  I think that they should have named it the Southern Grey Kangaroo. 

Taxomony has been a problem and the correct identification of the Western Grey Kangaroo as a different species from the Eastern Grey Kangaroo was not done until 1917.  In fact, the two species do NOT hybridize or breed with each other in the wild.  You CAN make a hybrid in captivity using artificial insemination. 


Western Grey Kangaroo Range
(Courtesey of Wikipedia)


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